ABSTRACT: Decompression sickness (DCS) has been described mainly in loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta bycaught in trawls and gillnets. Here we present cases of gas emboli (GE) in 8 green turtles Chelonia mydas and 2 Kemp’s ridleys Lepidochelys kempii entrained in hopper dredges that were working at 8.8-15.2 m depths during shipping channel maintenance or beach renourishment activities. Turtle weights ranged from 2.2 to 6.7 kg. All were found alive with blunt force injuries from passage through the dredge and were taken to rehabilitation facilities. Four green turtles died or were euthanized within 24 h. Six turtles survived. Radiographic or ultrasonographic evidence of GE was detected in 4 turtles, including 3 mortalities. Computed tomography (CT) revealed perirenal and cervical GE in 4 turtles, including 1 mortality. No GE were detected in 2 of the survivors. Upon necropsy, GE were found in mesenteric vessels, the right atrium, and kidneys. Histopathology confirmed that tissues were in a good state of preservation without evidence of bacterial overgrowth or putrefactive gas formation. Death likely resulted primarily from massive tissue trauma from the dredge, but moderate GE could have led to DCS and complicated recovery. The surviving turtles weighed less than those that did not survive. Besides hypothesized stress/exercise-induced circulatory changes of blood through the lungs and pressure reduction of forced surfacing from depth, drastic pressure change within the dredge pipes before and after the pump could contribute to GE. Hopper dredge entrainment is an additional cause of GE and potential DCS in sea turtles.

中文翻译：

---

美国北卡罗来纳州和南卡罗来纳州的漏斗挖泥船中夹带的海龟发生气体栓塞和巨大钝力损伤

摘要：减压病（DCS）主要描述于拖网渔具和刺网c中的龟（Caretta caretta）中。在这里，我们介绍了8个绿海龟Chelonia mydas和2个Kemp's ridleys Lepidochelys kempii中的气体栓子（GE）病例在航道维护或海滩养护活动中，被夹在工作深度为8.8-15.2 m的料斗挖泥机中。乌龟的重量为2.2至6.7千克。他们全部都被挖出，因钝器受伤而活着，并被送往康复设施。24小时内有四只绿海龟死亡或被安乐死。六只乌龟幸免于难。在4头龟中检测到了GE的放射线或超声检查证据，其中包括3例死亡。计算机断层扫描（CT）显示4只海龟的肾周和宫颈GE，其中1例死亡。在两个幸存者中未检测到GE。尸检时，在肠系膜血管，右心房和肾脏中发现了GE。组织病理学证实组织处于良好的保存状态，没有细菌过度生长或腐败气体形成的迹象。死亡可能主要是由于疏edge引起的大规模组织创伤所致，但中等程度的GE可能导致DCS和复杂的康复。幸存的乌龟比没有幸存的乌龟重。除了假设的压力/运动引起的通过肺部的血液循环变化以及从深处的强制堆焊的压力降低外，在泵之前和之后的挖泥管内的巨大压力变化也可能有助于GE。漏斗夹带夹带是海龟中GE和潜在DCS的另一个原因。除了假设的压力/运动引起的通过肺部的血液循环变化以及从深处的强制堆焊的压力降低外，在泵之前和之后的挖泥管内的巨大压力变化也可能有助于GE。漏斗夹带夹带是海龟中GE和潜在DCS的另一个原因。除了假设的压力/运动引起的通过肺部的血液循环变化以及从深处的强制堆焊的压力降低外，在泵之前和之后的挖泥管内的巨大压力变化也可能有助于GE。漏斗夹带夹带是海龟中GE和潜在DCS的另一个原因。